The mug had hit a cupboard and crashed onto the floor where it had smashed into shards of china. She looked at it in confusion. It felt like her life. Trying to get her thoughts in order, she used the tea towel to mop up the coffee that had streaked the countertop, the wall behind her and the floor. She mopped it slowly, conscious of Jack’s heaving body standing a few feet away. With a final sweep across the counter, she threw the cloth on top of the broken china, moved to the sofa and sat.

‘You didn’t come home.’ Her voice sounded broken, pathetic.

His temper gone as quickly as it had come, he ran a hand through his hair, and took a step towards her. ‘I’ve never cheated on you, Molly. I always thought we had something so precious, so special, I wasn’t going to risk destroying it.’

Guilt seared her. She wanted to say she felt the same, that what they had was special, and so very precious. Too precious to be destroyed by her stupid moment of weakness, a meaningless nothing. She wanted to grab him, scream at him until he listened, until he acknowledged the stupidity of risking what they had for something that never happened. Instead, keeping her eyes on his, she asked quietly, ‘So, where did you go?’

He took a step closer. ‘I cadged a bed at a mate’s.’

She wanted to ask which mate, but she didn’t because she’d known him too long and she knew, without a doubt, that he was lying.

20

Molly could see the lie in the way Jack’s eyes were unwilling to meet hers, and in that slight restlessness that had him shuffle from foot to foot. She wanted to challenge him, but a wave of weariness swept over her and took all concern for him with it. Perhaps he’d stayed overnight in the office, trying to iron out whatever problems he was having. Maybe, despite his protestations, he had been with a woman.

Too tired and numb to deal with any more grief, she pleaded exhaustion and went back to bed. As she lay trying not to cry, she heard Jack moving about, the hum of the shower and the opening and closing of doors. Exhaustion, both mental and physical, had seeped into her bones and when the house quietened, she drifted off to sleep, waking confused a short while later. Checking her phone, she saw it was after nine. Using the same throaty voice she’d used before, she rang her office to say she was still unwell, hanging up before they could query when she’d be back. It wasn’t something she knew.